Hall of Fame
Terrence Johnson is more comfortable excelling at one of the most challenging positions on the football field than he is in receiving deserved recognition for his superb play.
A four-year starter and three-time, all-conference cornerback for the Vulcans from 2006 to 2009, Johnson earned multiple All-America accolades in his final two years.
He becomes the sixth player under former head coach and fellow Class of 2020 inductee John Luckhardt to join the Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I was speechless because I am pretty grounded and not one to be all about accepting and talking about honors,” said Johnson. “But I was taken back by this and am very, very honored because I know what it means to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Being honored along with his coach enhances an already momentous occasion.
“I’m trying not to get overly emotional, but this honor brings back memories of the first time Coach Luck came to my door with his vision for Cal,” he said. “Then we went on that great run and to be honored with him … man … it’s just something very special.”
Johnson finished his career with 178 tackles (133 solo), 16 interceptions, and 32 pass break-ups. He led the Vulcans in interceptions in each of his four years with the program after making three interceptions in the 2009 post-season.
He also totaled 693 return yards, highlighted by an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 2008 NCAA Playoffs.
The shutdown corner helped the Vulcans compile a 44-10 cumulative record and a 25-1 mark in PSAC West play with four-straight PSAC West titles and three-consecutive appearances in the semifinals of the NCAA Playoffs.
During his career, Johnson was recognized on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), AP, D2Football.com and Daktronics All-America Teams. He also played in the 2010 Valero Cactus Bowl, which was an all-star game for senior football players.
Johnson prefers discussing the team’s success.
“We had a bunch of great WPIAL players along with record-setting guys from Ohio,” he said. “We took nothing for granted and worked hard. The coaches managed us right and it all just came together.”
Making an immediate impact as a redshirt in 2005, Johnson would sneak a red offensive shirt to practice and slip it on after the scout defense went against the first team offense.
“I would blend right in with the running backs and receivers and it probably took about three days for the coaches to actually realize what I was doing,” Johnson recalled laughing. “I was a small kid, not heavily recruited and to be at Cal with all of these great players I felt that I had to prove that I was able to fit in. For me that was going to be from both sides of the ball.
“I was really just trying to compete and I think the coaches took notice of me and appreciated it.”
Johnson’s message was well received according to Luckhardt.
“This is a guy who was not going to play in any games that year. That kind of dedication not only tells you what kind of person he is, but why he went on to be an All-American and play several years in the NFL,” Luckhardt said. “We’d line him up against the other team’s best receiver each week, including some that were supposed to be the best in the country, and he’d just shut them down.
“We remain very close and Terrence is one of the reasons why we were as good as we were and is just a special young man.”
Johnson was a seven-time individual qualifier for the PSAC Championships while on the track & field team. In January 2009, he was named the conference’s Athlete of the Week after winning three events (55m, 200m and 4x100 relay) at Baldwin-Wallace.
Before turning pro, Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from Cal U in criminal justice, fulfilling his late mother’s wishes. Julia Johnson passed away right before the Vulcans’ 2007 training camp.
“Even in youth football she always told me I have to be smart and be more than just a good football player because football could end at any time,” said Johnson, who was a member of the National Honor Society and a two-year letterman in football and track & field at Woodland Hills High School.
“I always took that with me and knew that I had to have good grades which would give me the best opportunity to do anything I wanted to do.”
After Cal U, Johnson played three years in the NFL with New England, Indianapolis, and Atlanta. In 2011, he made 37 tackles for the Colts. He also played one season of Arena Football League with the LA KISS.
Regardless of what level, Johnson’s passion for talking about playing cornerback is evident.
“I took everything as a challenge and if there was an opposing receiver that was supposed to be the best that’s the matchup I wanted every single time,” he said. “Cornerback is one of the most difficult positions to play because it’s a guessing game. You have to stop a guy from doing what he does best and you don’t know what he’s doing, so you have to get in his mix and take pride in it to accomplish that.”
Johnson now owns his own construction, home remodeling and landscape business with teammate and former All-American defensive lineman Willie Walker.
Terrence and fiancé Wanisha Green ´19, reside in Pittsburgh with their two-year-old son, Terrence Jr. Johnson looks back favorably on his Cal U days.
“When I was at Cal U it was a great time,” he said. “You had guys from different areas that lived in the same circles who were all kicking, scratching and focused on accomplishing the same things and we made the best time of it.”
updated 04/24/22
